[Ogbatman]

Harley-Davidson to pay $12 million fine over motorcycle emissions | Reuters

"Harley-Davidson Inc (HOG.N) agreed to pay a $12 million civil fine and stop selling illegal after-market devices that cause its motorcycles to emit too much pollution, the U.S. Justice Department said on Thursday.

The settlement resolves government allegations that Harley sold roughly 340,000 "super tuners" enabling motorcycles since 2008 to pollute the air at levels greater than what the Milwaukee-based company certified to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency."

This part upsets me because it saying pretty much if you buy any car you can not mod it regardless what it is used for.
"The company said the settlement represents "a good faith compromise with the EPA on areas of law we interpret differently, particularly EPA's assertion that it is illegal for anyone to modify a certified vehicle even if it will be used solely for off-road/closed-course competition."

 

[USAFST2]

This really shouldn't come as much of a surprise. Manufacturers don't want you to service your vehicle at any location other than a dealership. To that end, any modification to your vehicle for the purposes of changing its air/fuel/timing is sure to ruffle the feathers of the EPA. Both the car manufacturers and the EPA want folks to purchase their vehicles, maintain them properly through the manufacturer and trade them in a few years later for more expensive vehicles with a smaller carbon footprint.

Modifying a mode of transportation for the sake of the enthusiasts enjoyment hardly sounds like it fits into that plan. I'm sure you guys remember that not too long ago, the EPA was attempting to pass a bill that would essentially make vehicle performance modification all but illegal.

This rhetoric shouldn't really surprise anyone. All that we can hope, is that we can continue to enjoy our vehicles as we desire and not have to worry too much about meddling. The worst that may happen, is that the rest of the country adopts the CARB standards and law enforcement actually cracks down on modified vehicles. Now that, would suck.

 

[Cowlynz]

The FRPP and Mountune(MR275) tunes have passed the carb tests, and many other specs that enable them to keep the warranties intact.

 

[jalapeno]

i wouldn't be too worried

 

[closedeyesopenedmind]

Hey look, they're pushing that agenda again!
Step 1- fabricate a crisis
Step 2- tell everyone it's their fault and it needs to be fixed
Step 3-have them pay to fix it...multiply that by the same number they multiply every dollar by (4)
Step 4- Make them feel guilty when they get out of line and be sure to fine them HEAVILY for it
Step 5- Sit back and think about my soul and how I don't have it anymore but then realize I'm so powerful and disgustingly rich and clever that it doesn't even matter

Sent from my SM-G920T using Tapatalk

 

[SIstomper]

My boss just got a recall notice for his C6 Vette to add two more cats. Smog will not be performed unless warranty work is done. Manufacturers will do what the government wants to continue selling cars.

Emission Compliance ? 2008-2009 Chevrolet Corvette | gm.oemdtc.com

 

[toda party]

Hey look, they're pushing that agenda again!
Step 1- fabricate a crisis
Step 2- tell everyone it's their fault and it needs to be fixed
Step 3-have them pay to fix it...multiply that by the same number they multiply every dollar by (4)
Step 4- Make them feel guilty when they get out of line and be sure to fine them HEAVILY for it
Step 5- Sit back and think about my soul and how I don't have it anymore but then realize I'm so powerful and disgustingly rich and clever that it doesn't even matter

Sent from my SM-G920T using Tapatalk

haha :RockOn:

 

[BlackT5]

Dynojet got fined big time for selling Power Commanders by CARB. Big time changed the rules regarding tune devices on motorcycles way before this. Jesse James got fined as well for selling customs without emissions devices.

Basically nothing new here. It's always been this way. Remember the proliferation of "For off-road use only" in product description?

 

[closedeyesopenedmind]

Dynojet got fined big time for selling Power Commanders by CARB. Big time changed the rules regarding tune devices on motorcycles way before this. Jesse James got fined as well for selling customs without emissions devices.

Basically nothing new here. It's always been this way. Remember the proliferation of "For off-road use only" in product description?

I find it idiotic that we're placated by something as arbitrary as one sentence in small print "for off-road use only". C'mon!! I know, you know, they know, everybody knows damn well it won't be used for that. Like a dealer printing out a label to put on a bag of heroin that says "not for human consumption". Why can't we just call a duck a duck? Tip-toe around this, find a couple loopholes there, favor to look the other way right here, and presto! It magically all makes sense and only a terrorist would question it.

The world is frustrating me lately

 

[HBGeek]

I figure with all the low emission cars and hybrids on the road today that a few hooligans like us are being drastically offset by the cleaner cars. Let us be government jerks.

 

[Tarrant64]

Harley-Davidson to pay $12 million fine over motorcycle emissions | Reuters

"Harley-Davidson Inc (HOG.N) agreed to pay a $12 million civil fine and stop selling illegal after-market devices that cause its motorcycles to emit too much pollution, the U.S. Justice Department said on Thursday.

The settlement resolves government allegations that Harley sold roughly 340,000 "super tuners" enabling motorcycles since 2008 to pollute the air at levels greater than what the Milwaukee-based company certified to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency."

This part upsets me because it saying pretty much if you buy any car you can not mod it regardless what it is used for.
"The company said the settlement represents "a good faith compromise with the EPA on areas of law we interpret differently, particularly EPA's assertion that it is illegal for anyone to modify a certified vehicle even if it will be used solely for off-road/closed-course competition."

it is illegal for anyone to modify a certified vehicle even if it will be used solely for off-road/closed-course competition." - I honestly thought this was settled awhile back and it's not really an issue.

That said, this article seems to deal with the fact that Harley certified these cars to the EPA, then went behind their backs and modified them. This isn't a crackdown so much as reporting to the EPA you are selling something that performs at a certain level then violating that certification. It would have probably been different (from my perspective) had it come from a 3rd party tuning company.

IE. - Tuners don't have a problem. Ford may have a problem with their FRPP - as they provide the EPA with certain certifications as well. However, seeing as how their modifications are carb compliant, doubt they are losing sleep over this as well.

Just saying, let's not make this one story about an agenda that's just not.

 

[Keebs_yo]

This is really no different from the VW scandal except on a much smaller scale. Simply, H-D told the EPA one thing, went behind their back selling another, and got caught. Pretty sure an EPA SWAT team is not gonna be kicking in our front doors anytime soon:crazy: